The similarity with the Antigua Test is uncanny. In Barbados yesterday Andrew Strauss led the way with a century, ­punctuated by unusually fluent strokeplay all around the wicket, which enabled England to end the day on 301 for three. In Antigua the captain also batted magnificently and the tourists finished the first day on exactly the same score.

"It is encouraging that the ball has continued to swing throughout the day," said Strauss after his innings yesterday, taking into consideration England's decision to drop Steve Harmison and play two swing bowlers in James Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom. "It's early days but it also looks as if this pitch will turn more than in Antigua."

Strauss must hope that the parallels with the third Test are not so precise as the match progresses and that his fourth century of the winter might at last result in England winning a Test match. In ­Antigua his side could not squeeze the last West Indian wicket, which means that England are still trying to overhaul their 1-0 deficit.

Nonetheless this is not a surface that has bowlers salivating expectantly. "Our target now is to put scoreboard pressure on the West Indies by passing 500 ­tomorrow," Strauss said.

Strauss has seldom batted so fluently as he has on this tour and the coincidence with the captaincy has not gone unnoticed. "Long may it continue," he said. "It is important as captain to lead by example if you want the team to play in a positive way. But it also helps that I'm in good form.

"I felt pretty balanced. I'm seeing the ball well and when you feel like that and in good nick you've got to make it count. We assessed the quality of the wicket for the first eight overs and felt the percentages were in our favour to get after them.

"It's also about assessing when the odds are in your favour. It soon became apparent that they were in our favour on this pitch. In those circumstances it's important to be positive. On another type of wicket you have to graft more".

Strauss reached his century with a six, something that Kevin Pietersen has tried but failed to achieve twice in recent times, but he will refrain from ribbing Pietersen.

Meanwhile the tour management has been discussing the rehabilitation process of Andrew Flintoff, trying to decide where would be best to continue it. An announcement will be made today, but it would be far more of a surprise to learn that Flintoff has a good chance of being fit for the Trinidad Test than to hear that he will be heading back to England shortly.